Canada: Stop the Deportation of Alvaro Orozco

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Alvaro Orozco, a Nicaraguan immigrant is petitioning to avoid deportation because, he claimed, he is gay and his sexual orientation would put him in violation of the laws of his home country.

According to the report, Orozco’s petition was denied because officials questioned whether he was actually gay, citing a lack of evidence regarding his sexual orientation. No photos of him at a Pride parade. No membership to an advocacy organization seeking equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) individuals. No online profile on a gay dating site. In short, his sexuality lacked a paper trail.

Listen the story: NPR – Man Says Homosexuality Is Basis for Refugee Claim

Friday September 14, 2007, Alvaro received his latest Pre Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) decision this morning in the presence of a group of supporters as well as his lawyer and community advocates.
As expected the application was rejected, and the reasons behind the rejection ranged from: the letters of support to prove his sexuality are “hearsay” and do not provide a solid proof that Alvaro is in fact gay, to Nicaragua is a safe place for gay people because there are many cruising spaces, like parks and ruins where people can have gay sex, and also a long narrative praising the human rights record and democracy in Nicaragua.

The problems with the reasons provided for the negative decision are evident to anyone who’ve been following this case.

Alvaro now is under a new deportation order for October 4th.

As it has been since the beginning, the minister of immigration Diane Finley has the authority and capacity to issue the Stay for Alvaro. We need to let the minister know that Canadians demand justice for Alvaro and an immediate end to this tragedy.

Click Here to Sign the Online Petition to Ask the Minister of Immigration to Let me Stay in Canada

Read his Story

No One Is Illegal